India Power Corporation and thermal energy storage solutions developer E2S Power signed an agreement to develop a 250-kilowatt-hour pilot thermal energy storage unit in India.

In a joint statement, India Power and E2S Power said the collaboration will help thermal power assets transform into clean energy storage facilities. The technology can be installed to provide storage using the infrastructure of thermal plants that are being retired.

Anand K Pandey, Head of Renewables and New Business, India Power Corporation Limited, said a long-duration energy storage system is needed due to the rapidly increasing renewable energy generation in the energy mix. This will also help thermal power plants meet the requirement of flexibilisation.

The companies said the pilot unit will be developed at the E2S Power facility. It has passed Factory Acceptance Test and will be given to India in the first quarter of 2023.

India Power and E2S Power will also work with other power and renewable energy firms in India to evaluate integrated thermal energy solutions for plants that will be phased out.